Even Before God Made the World

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

—Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

Loving and Gracious Father God,

Thank You for Your wondrous plan to make me holy and without fault in Your own eyes, through Christ—so that You could bring me to Yourself and adopt me as Your very own.

Thank You that before the beginning—before You created the heavens and the earth, before You put it all in order, and before You created time by setting it all into motion—You decided that mankind would be the focus of Your love.

Thank You that even before You created me, You so greatly desired to be able to have a loving relationship with me, that You made a way for me to come to You—a way for my sin debt to be paid—through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank You that You wanted me so very much that You chose me—even though I did not deserve it and did nothing to earn it—and that I get to choose You back and be adopted into Your family, as Your dearly loved child!

Thank You for the overwhelming love that I feel, in knowing that You not only wanted to do this, but got great pleasure in doing it for me—and for all those You call to accept the free gift of salvation.

Thank You for Your wondrous plan to make me holy and without fault in Your own eyes, through Christ—so that You could bring me to Yourself and adopt me as Your very own.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

God's Rightful Place in My Heart

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

—1 John 5:21 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me to keep away from anything that might take Your place in my heart—from any false god that I might put before You.

Don’t ever allow me to idolize a person—to allow my relationship with them to become more important to me than my relationship with You.  But rather, help me to keep my relationship with You in proper order, so that all of my other relationships will fall in order as well, and bring You glory.

Don’t ever allow me to idolize a place—to make where I am now more important than my obedience to Your calling to stretch myself to go somewhere new, or to do something different.  Make me willing and obedient to go wherever You call me—knowing You will never leave me, so I have nothing to fear. 

Don’t ever allow me to idolize a thing—to believe that I need some “thing” more than I need to believe that You are the source of everything I need, the giver of all good things.  Let me realize, instead, that everything I have is Yours and is only placed temporarily in my hands for me to use for Your glory, honor and praise.

Don’t ever allow me to idolize an idea—substituting it for Truth.  But rather, help me walk in the freedom, the joy, and the peace that comes from knowing the Truth of Your Word and walking in faithful obedience to it.

Don’t ever allow me to idolize myself—thinking that it is somehow by my own power that I live, or claiming that I have some right to live as I choose—as if I were wiser, or higher, or more powerful, than the One who made me and orders my every step according to His will and purpose.

Help me to keep away from anything that might take Your place in my heart—from any false god that I might put before You.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

You Are God!

Before the mountains were born

Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

—Psalm 90:2 (NASB)

Everlasting God,

I worship You for who You are—the God who always was, always is and always shall be the only One worthy of my worship!

I worship You for only You are timeless!  Only You existed before time began—before You created everything that now exists, put it all in order, and set in motion, thus creating time itself.

I worship You, for among the so-called gods and other worshiped things of this world, only You are the Living God—the One who gives life to all things!  Yes, You are alive and choose to live here—both with me and within me—so that I can know You, through Your Word, as revealed by Your Spirit, and so I can personally experience Your great affection for me, as Your dearly loved child.

I worship You, for out of all of that which begs my worship, only You will remain steadfast and unchanging for all eternity—only You will always love me with an unfailing love that passionately and unrelentingly pursues me.  And only You will remain worthy of my love and worship and devotion, forevermore.

I worship You for who You are—the God who always was, always is and always shall be the only One worthy of my worship!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.